Kuldeep Yadav requests leave for wedding during SA series: Report
What's the story
Veteran Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav has requested a leave of absence from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for his wedding in the last week of November, as per Times of India. The request comes as he has been included in the playing XI for the opening Test against South Africa. It must be noted that SA and India will also play three ODIs and five T20Is after the ongoing two-Test series.
Wedding details
Kuldeep's wedding was rescheduled last year
Kuldeep's wedding is scheduled for the last week of November. Earlier this year, he had to cancel his wedding function after the IPL finished later than scheduled due to cross-border tension between India and Pakistan. A BCCI source confirmed that Kuldeep has requested leave for the last week of November, adding that "the team management will assess when they will need his services before granting him the exact number of leaves."
Performance review
Can Kuldeep make a mark?
Notably, the team management had released Kuldeep from the T20I squad in Australia to prepare for South Africa Tests by playing for India 'A' against South Africa 'A' in Bengaluru last week, where he took only one wicket. However, he would aim to perform better in the Test series. 68 of his wickets have come for India in Tests at 21.69.
XI
India field four spinners in the XI
In a surprising move, Team India has named four spinners in their playing XI for the match. Besides Kuldeep, the team includes Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel. This decision comes as a major shift from India's usual strategy and is likely to have a significant impact on the game's outcome at Eden Gardens. As Sai Sudharsan misses out, Sundar is likely to bat in the top four.